Tobacco-stemming machine.



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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE. i

ANDREVVJ. BUSH, QF KAUFMAN, TEXAS.

TOBACC-STE'MMING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION fornangpart of I-.ie'ttersPatent No. 713,057, dated November 11, 1902.

Application ined March 24, 190'2. serial No. 99,754. (No'moden To all whom-if; may concern.- l

Be it known that I, ANDREW J. BUSH, a citi# zen of the United States, residing at Kauf? man, in the county of Kaufman and'State of. Texas, have invented a new and useful To bacco-Stemming Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to an improvement in tobacco-stemming machines, and particularly to a machine for which an applica-- tion for patent was filed by me July 7, 1900, and patented February 25, 1902, No. 694,130, the object of the present device being to provide an arrangement for opening the leavesl prior to being fed to thecutters.

With the above object in view my improvement'consists of a pair of feed-belts between which the leaf is held and carried past a pairv of brushes, which are designed to engage the leaf and spread or open it, so that after the stem has been removed "the halves 'will bev ready for use without necessitating a further operation thereon.

My invention also consists in the peculiarA construction and arrangement of the belts and brushes and the manner of driving them', all of which will befullyfdescribed in the fol'- lowing specification and pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the drawings,

In myrformer patent h ereinbefore referred to I einploya pair of wideV liat belts carried upon pulleys which-are suitably supported upon a frame and driven by belts from any suitable power, thesaid belts being designed to carry or feed the leaf of tobacco toand through the cutters which remove the stem; but in the said machine it is necessaryto open or spread the leaf before inserting it between the feed-belts, and it is therefore the purpose of my present device to automatically open the leaf before it reaches the cutters.

By reference to the drawings it willbe seen that I employ a frame A, having a suitable table B and delivery-belts BX, arranged at the opposite endsof-the frame, the table being arranged in the front end of the machine and upon which the leaves are placed to be within easy reach of the operator, the said table being divided, so that the'operator may stand near the feed-belts and have the leaves upon either side and within easy reach. Suitably mounted upon the frame are series of shafts C and C and D and D', the shafts C and C having enlarged surfaces upon which are designed to travel belts C2 and'C3, between whichV and arranged centrally of the frame are feed-belts E and E', which extend a-considerable distance in front ofthe belts C2 and C3 and are supported at the forward and rear ends by concaved pulleys E2 and E3, carried by the shafts C and C and D and D', the latte'rbeing'j ournaled in brackets mounted upon the frame, and upon the shaft D is mounted beveled gears E4`E4, whichare designed to mesh with gears E5 E5, carried by shafts G G,-

upon which is suitably held brushes H H, the said shafts G being vsupported by suitable brackets I I, arranged upon the main frame, as shown. Suitable cutters J J are arranged upon the` frame directly in rear ofthe centrally-arranged feed-belts E and E', and ,from the shafts ofthe cutters motion is imparted to the shafts carrying the belts by means of pulleys and belts K and K', respectively. By reference to the drawings it willbe noted that the lower feed-belt extends a slight distance I infront of the upper belt, which is for the purpose of allowing the operator an easier feed than if the belts terminated in the same vertical alinement, and by` making the bearing-surface of the pulley concaved or grooved it allows a slight space to intervene centrally between the belts and the stems to freely pass the pulleys, and vthereby prevent injury to the leaf.

In operation the leaf is first slightly opened or spread at the butt-end and thestem inserted between the central feed-belts, which being constantly in motion draws the, leaf through the machine, and while passing the brushes are spread or brushed out to their fullest extent, leaving them flat, and in that condition are drawn between the side or supplemental feedbelts to the cutters, which sever the stem from the leaf, the former dropping down under the machine through the ICC openings and the latter onto the deliverybelts BX, where they are fed or conveyed to a box or other receptacle.

It will thus be seen that I employ an exceedingly simple device that may be readily applied to machines built in accordance with my former patent, the only change being necessary is that of dividing the wide feed-belts.

It will also be noted that the belts are all driven at the same speed, which is a distinct advantage, as it prevents to a minimum degree any injury to the leaf.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. ln a tobacco-stemming machine the combination of a frame having centrally-arranged feed-belts operating therein, supplemental feed-belts arranged upon either side of the centrally arranged belts, brushes mounted upon either side of the said central belts and in advance of the said supplemental belts, cutters arranged at the rear end of the said central belts and means for operating the belts, brushes and cutters substantially as shown and described.

2. Inatobacco-stemming machine the combination of a frame having a table arranged thereon, the forward end of which is bifurcated, belt-shafts mounted onthe frame at the forward and rear end of said table, centrally-arranged feed-belts carried by the said shafts and arranged one above the other, the lower one of which extending in advance of the upper belt, shafts arranged upon the frame intermediate the first-named shafts, supplemental belts arranged upon the said shafts in the rear of the machine and on the intermediate shafts, brackets arranged upon the table, brushes mounted in the brackets, cutters` mounted upon the frame and means for operating the said belts, brushes and cutters substantially as shown and described.

3. Inatobacco-stemmingmachine,thecom bination of a frame having a table mounted thereon, shafts mounted thereon near the forward end and at the rear end thereof, the said shafts in the rear of the table being arranged in vertical alinement, one of the shafts at the forward end of the table being arranged below and in advance of the adjacent forward shaft, grooved enlargements on the shafts, feed-belts mounted on the said enlargements, shafts mounted upon the frame intermediate the first-named shafts, the lower one arranged in advance of the upper shaft, supplemental feed-belts mounted upon the said rear shafts and the intermediate shafts, brackets mounted pon the said table and having shafts journaled therein, brushes mounted upon the last-named shafts, shafts carrying cutters arranged in rear of the said belts and means for operating the said belts, brushes and cutters, substantially as shown and described.

4. Inatobacco-stemmingn1achine,thecom bination of a frame, a table mounted upon the forward end thereof and delivery-belts carried at the rear end of the frame, shafts arranged at the rear and near the forward end of the table, feed-belts operating on the said shafts, intermediate shafts arranged upon the table, supplemental feed-belts operating upon the said rear shafts and the said intermediate shaftsLbrackets mounted upon the table in advance of the said supplemental belts, shafts carrying brushes journaled in the said brackets, gears arranged upon the said brush-shafts and adapted to mesh with gears carried by the upper forward shaft whereby motion is imparted to the said brushshafts, and rotary cutters mounted upon the frame intermediate the said table and delivery-belts, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a machine of the kind described the combination with the parallel longitudinallydisposed brushes adapted to rotate in opposite directions, of the parallel longitudinallymovable feed-belts between and below the said brushes for the purpose described.

ANDREW J. BUSH.

Vitnesses:

CHAs. H. PARRISH, J. M. MoRRoW. 

